The Philippine peso has been on a downtrend recently, as the U.S. Federal Reserve holds off on interest rate cuts and the Philippine central bank adopts an easier monetary stance. 
Currencies

Philippine peso falls to 18-month low against dollar

Central bank's 'less hawkish' stance leaves currency to slide

21 May 2024
Food prices have risen in Philippine fresh markets as El Nino hurts agriculture.  
Economy

Philippine GDP expanded 5.7% in Q1 but headwinds persist

Inflation, up for third consecutive month, hampers 2024 growth prospects

9 May 2024
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, center, wearing a saffron cap, on the election campaign trail near Delhi on April 6. He is aiming for a third-straight term as head of the world's biggest democracy.
Your Week in Asia

India votes, China GDP and Germany's Scholz meets Xi in Beijing

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

14 April 2024
A man stands outside a currency exchange bureau in downtown Nairobi, Kenya. Emerging economies around the world are feeling the pressure of a strong greenback.
Economy

From Indonesia to Japan, dollar's rising strength raises global alarm

G20 finance ministers likely to discuss issue as their currencies depreciate

14 April 2024
Inflation readings in Thailand have been negative, a trend largely fueled by government subsidies on diesel.
Economy

Thailand inflation fell by 0.47% in March for its sixth straight drop

Negative streak could end if fuel subsidies elapse or decrease

5 April 2024
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida tells Nikkei in an interview that Japan needs to "take greater responsibility" in providing options for Southeast Asian countries. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Interview

Japan, U.S., Philippines to cooperate in clean energy, chips: Kishida

Prime minister speaks to Nikkei in exclusive interview ahead of trilateral summit

4 April 2024
People ride motorcycles near the site where a building collapsed, following the earthquake in Hualien, Taiwan, on April 4.
Natural disasters

Taiwan earthquake kills at least 9; TSMC plants recovering

World's top chipmaker reports no damage to most advanced equipment

4 April 2024
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., center, signs the Maharlika sovereign wealth fund into law in Manila in July  2023. (Philippines' Presidential Photographers Association)
Interview

Philippines wealth fund will 'avoid' fate of Malaysia's 1MDB, chief says

Fund to launch in Q3; China investment welcome despite maritime tensions

26 March 2024
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Manila in August 2022. The two will meet again this week.
Your Week in Asia

BOJ monetary policy, Blinken meets Marcos in Manila, GoTo earnings

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

17 March 2024
Not being able to receive merchandise even though it has arrived at port is a common problem faced by retailers in the Philippines. (Photo by Hirofumi Yamamoto)
Trade

Philippine retailers frustrated as customs backups delay imports

Waits for products stuck in ports can last upward of a year

8 March 2024
With their demographic dividends petering out, some ASEAN economies are facing the risk of getting old before they get rich. 
Datawatch

Aging Southeast Asia grapples with weak social safety nets

State pensions cover less than 30% of working-age population in some countries

17 February 2024
Food prices at Singapore's popular hawker centers climbed 15% between 2019 and 2023. (Photo by Fumika Sato)
Economy

Singapore, Thailand and more hand out cash to ease inflation pain

SE Asia governments focus on public support while critics warn of fiscal strain

17 February 2024
The Vietnamese Community of Independent Learners hosts "eco-travel schools" taking tourists to places like Ulsan, South Korea, to promote volunteering and quality of life without excessive consumerism. (Photo by VCIL)
Economy

Asia develops an appetite for degrowth 'doughnut economics'

Movement pushes measures of education, health and the environment over GDP

11 February 2024
Farmers plant rice seedlings that are part of a breeding program for late-maturing varieties, at the International Rice Research Institute, in Los Banos, Laguna province, Philippines on Jan. 18, 2023.
Inflation

Philippine rice inflation hits highest level since 2009

Overall price growth down but global conditions cause food costs to climb

6 February 2024
A public market in Manila's Quezon City. The Philippine economy has been hit by soaring inflation. 
Economy

Philippines misses official target with 5.6% GDP growth in 2023

Latest annual data falls short of 7.6% expansion in previous year

31 January 2024
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. speaks at a summit in California in November 2023. The Philippine president heads to Vietnam this week.
Your Week in Asia

Evergrande back in court, Marcos in Vietnam, Myanmar takeover anniversary

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

28 January 2024
From the Philippine peso to the Australian dollar, a wide range of Asia-Pacific currencies faces weakness against the U.S. dollar. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Currencies

Philippine peso, Malaysian ringgit sink on China's economic woes

Trade ties to No. 2 economy spur rate cut speculation in Australia and Thailand

25 January 2024
The Department of Finance building in Manila. (Photo by Yuichi Shiga)
Economy

Philippines' Marcos names lawmaker Recto as new finance chief

Incoming top official will aim to fuel growth while taming inflation

12 January 2024
Bystanders look at a damaged road on Japan's Noto Peninsula following a deadly earthquake on Jan. 1.
Natural disasters

Asian leaders offer assistance for Japan earthquake response

Marcos, Yoon and more express solidarity as death toll climbs

3 January 2024
A Filipino at a remittance center in the Metro Manila city of Makati receives pesos sent by a relative working abroad.
Economy

Cross-border remittances at all-time high for third consecutive year

Workers from South and East Asia, Pacific drive increase, World Bank says

28 December 2023
People pose for pictures at a Christmas display outside an office building in Manila on Dec. 19.
Economy

Price woes threaten to spoil holiday cheer in Philippines

Christmas spending hit by still-high inflation, slowing cash remittances

23 December 2023
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s move to launch the country's first sovereign wealth fund is creating needless risk.  (Pool via Reuters)
Opinion

To maintain the Philippines' momentum, Marcos needs new ideas

Maharlika fund has distracted president from more pressing economic priorities

20 December 2023
Filipino shoppers collectively lost more than $2.8 million in online scams during the first nine months of 2023.
Retail

Philippines emerges as Asia's epicenter for online shopping scams

Experts warn over country's lack of digital literacy and cybercrime awareness

18 December 2023
City workers sweep at a section of road beside stored materials for a railway construction site in Quezon City, Metro Manila on Aug. 10.
Economy

Philippines announces lower growth projection for 2024

Marcos also signals possible constitutional review to lure foreign investment

15 December 2023
A vendor loads vegetables into a tricycle at a market in Manila on Dec. 5.
Economy

Philippines inflation slowdown heralds cautious optimism for 2024

Policymakers still trying to rein in volatile prices of rice, other food items

5 December 2023